So nice to see my article on measuring judicial independence being published soon! I contributed, along with many distinguished colleagues, with a chapter to Daniel Newman's 'Leading Works on the Legal Profession' (Routledge). Contributors to this book were invited to select and analyse a work which has for them shed light on what the legal profession is and what it does.
In my chapter, I look at the sociologist José J. Toharia 's landmark paper on ‘Judicial Independence in an Authoritarian Regime: The Case of Contemporary Spain' (published in 1975). It teaches us to carefully study judicial systems to get the full picture of their weaknesses and strengths. I provide evidence that - until this day - some of the world's most influential rule of law rankings fail to assess the true level of judicial independence of many countries - particularly when it comes to countries and regions of the Global South such as Latin America.
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